Spirit food: "I am a frayed and nibbled survivor in a fallen world, and I am getting along. I am aging and eaten and have done my share of eating too. I am not washed and beautiful, in control of a shining world in which everything fits, but instead am wondering awed about on a splintered wreck I've come to care for, whose gnawed trees breathe a delicate air, whose bloodied and scarred creatures are my dearest companions, and whose beauty bats and shines not in its imperfections but overwhelmingly in spite of them, under the wind-rent clouds, upstream and down." --- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Brain food: It appears Neanderthals may have interbred with modern humans. Who knew? (via The Morning News and Nature News)
Young adults today...: weigh too much to join the military; constitute a national security risk. (via AP)
UU news: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Minnetonka has outgrown its current building and is suing Wayzata, Minnesota for the right to violate current zoning laws and construct a larger building in a residential area of town. (via UU World and The Minneapolis Star Tribune)
UU voices: Tess, a member of the UU student group at Oberlin, examines how the school's "Experimental College" program can help young adults fulfill their spiritual needs.
A joy: Kids today are growing up in a world where their toys can generate wind and solar power. (How cool is that?)
A concern: This post on Reddit---from a young adult who's trying to find a job and keep his housing---breaks my heart. I'm afraid his situation (no prospects, no money, no support system) is not unique and that there are very few resources available for people in his age group.
It makes me wonder: what can young adults and our churches do to minister---really and truly minister---to each other? How can we empower each other? How can we provide help, hope, and comfort to those in our community who are struggling?
What you can do:
- To help educate children and youth about ecology and the environment: find your local science center or museum and commit to volunteer there. If you live in Massachusetts, volunteer with your kids through the Trustees of Reservations to care for local nature preserves. If you live elsewhere, volunteer through the Nature Conservancy. Also, check out Green My Parents, which encourages kids "to lead their families in measuring & reducing environmental impact at home."
Unchurchy things: Tim Minchin wants you to "rid the world of plastic." (This clip is a few years old now, but it's topical and new to me---sorry if you've seen it before!)
Young adults of note: To honor the young people who are working to save our environment, watch this film about Julia Hill, who is famous for having spent two years in her mid-twenties living in California a redwood tree to prevent its being cut down. (Julia's blog is here.)
